EPA Fines Walmart and Hartz Mountain for Violating Federal Pesticide Law in Colby, Kansas
LENEXA, KAN. (AUG. 27, 2024) – National retailer Walmart Inc. and pet product manufacturer The Hartz Mountain Corporation will each pay a civil penalty to settle alleged violations of federal pesticide law at Walmart’s Colby, Kansas, location.
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Walmart and Hartz Mountain distributed and offered for sale Hartz Ultra-Guard Plus cat flea and tick collars that were not registered with EPA and had labels entirely in Spanish, in violation of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA).
EPA says that Walmart will pay a $17,078 penalty, and Hartz Mountain will pay $11,955.
“The registration of pesticide products with EPA and clear product labeling are critical to protecting public health,” said EPA Region 7 Enforcement and Compliance Assurance Division Director David Cozad. “Failure to comply with these requirements means that consumers may not be aware of a product’s ingredients, how the product can be safely used, and how the product should be properly stored and disposed.”
The unregistered pesticide products were discovered during a Kansas Department of Agriculture inspection of the Colby store in August 2023. Inspectors discovered 227 units of the collars being offered for sale. In response to these findings, the companies removed the violative products from store shelves and certified that they are now compliant with FIFRA.
Under federal law, it is unlawful to distribute or sell any pesticide that is not registered with EPA. Further, all pesticide labels must contain required information, such as pesticide contents and hazards, in English. Pesticides include products intended to kill or prevent pests or other organisms.
Learn more about pesticides.
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